Workshop on Innovation in Border Control

The policy makers in Brussels and in Strasbourg are once again examining the pros and cons of large new IT-based systems aimed at improving the security of Europe's borders through increased surveillance. Against this background, Professor Cannataci's keynote speech will first examine the distinctions between surveillance and smart surveillance and then outline the significance of the advent of MIMSI or Massively Integrated Multiple Sensor Installations. It will also raise the question `To what extent are the new proposals for solutions effective and proportional to the threat?'. The speaker will examine how the methodology of EU FP7 projects like SMART and RESPECT, which include at least one Work Package devoted to border control, attempts to provide a more solid evidence base for decision-making by policy makers. He will reflect on the growing reliance on integration of systems as the greatest single factor which may affect the balance between security and safety on the one hand and privacy and data protection on the other hand.